Remains shorter and less expensive than the big book. Retains the down-to-earth friendly, accessible writing style so praised by adopters of the second edition and their students. Includes two chapters on social stratification, as in the big book. Contains extensive multicultural and global coverage. The boxes on the immigrant experience take the reader to the cutting edge of one of the most important events occurring in the United States. Contains six different types of boxes, Our Multicultural Society, A Global Glimpse, Down-to-Earth Sociology, Thinking Critically About Social Controversy, The Immigrant Experience, Sociology and the New Technology.